Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Hello! Let me start by explaining that I am by no means good at cooking. I tend muddle my way through the same recipes every night because I know I won't screw them up. However, one thing that I know I rule at making is homemade sweet potato fries.

I'm sure if I had the luxury of a deep fryer, I'd use that. But I do not, so I'll just lie and say that I bake them because it's healthier. This is not a science, and no two batches ever turn out the same, so you need to try using these guidelines but it might take a couple tries to get them how you want them.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Start by peeling all of your yams. I usually cook one per person eating. Then you're going to chop them in halves and then keep slicing them into fry shapes. You don't want to cut them too narrow though, or else it makes them difficult to pick up and eat.

After you've cut all the yams, you can coat them in a thin layer of corn starch (the starch is optional. Depending on how fatty I want them to be, I will or won't add it. It helps make them more crisp) I find a colander (or strainer) is the easiest way to get the right amount. You end up wasting a lot into the sink, but I'd rather that than have them smothered. Add the starch, then carefully give them a good shake in the colander, until they are just dusted.

Arrange the fries on a pan. I just received a special french fry pan from Brad's mom so this was actually my first time using it! It works really well, and the holes in the bottom allow more heat to cook the fries evenly. However, if you're not quite a fry fanatic like me and don't have special cookware for them, a cookie sheet works just as well! Drizzle oil over the fries, and use your hands to flip them and make sure every side has some on them.

From there, add any sort of toppings or seasonings you'd like. My personal favourite is rosemary and sea salt, but I usually don't add the salt until I flip them.

While the fries are in the oven, you can make sauce! This one really needs no recipe since it is only 2 ingredients: Sriracha Sauce (hot sauce) and mayo. Just mix it up in a bowl, and vary the amounts depending on how much spice you'd like.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Makes 1 plate, enough for one really hungry person or 2 people to share.

Ingredients:

2 yams

2 tablespoons of corn starch

2 tablespoons of olive oil

+ any additional seasonings, to taste (I like sea salt and rosemary)

For Sauce (mild spiciness):

1/2 cup of mayo

1 teaspoon of Sriracha Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel yams, then slice into fry shapes making sure not to cut them too thin. From here, you have the option to soak them in cold water, but it isn't mandatory and I usually can't tell the difference. Coat fries in corn starch in a colander and shake until they are dusted lightly. Place them on a baking pan then drizzle olive oil over the fries, and use your hands to make sure they are lightly coated in oil on every side. Arrange on the baking pan so there is about a finger space between the fries on every side. Add your seasoning preference, then place in the oven. Cook for about 10-15 minutes on the first side, then flip (this is when I add the sea salt) and finish cooking for about 5-10 minutes. This is where it is all down to you, because every oven is different. Just remember to keep an eye on them, and check that they aren't burning.

For the sauce, add the Sriracha Sauce to the mayo and stir. Add more Sriracha for more spice, or mayo to make it more mild, depending on your taste.